CULLMAN, Ala. – The Cullman City Schools Board of Education met at Cullman High School’s Tillman Hall Friday morning and introduced Trent Walker as the Bearcats new head football coach. Walker, a CHS alum, replaces Danny Stiff who stepped down from his position earlier this month. Walker is returning to his alma mater after spending the previous four seasons as the head coach at Lawrence County. Walker also spent five years working as an assistant coach at Cullman under previous Bearcat head coaches Mark Britton, Matt Plunkett and Oscar Glasscock.
“I’m extremely grateful and humbled to be selected as the next head football coach of Cullman High School. This is a program full of pride and tradition, and I am excited about the opportunity to return home and lead the Bearcats,” Walker said. “I would like to thank Mr. Kallhoff, Mrs. Tuggle, Coach Dean and the school board members for entrusting me with this program and its young men. Our staff will work diligently to build a program that our faculty, school, and community can be proud of both on and off the field.”
Walker also has experience as a graduate assistant on the Auburn University coaching staff during the 2010 SEC Championship and BCS National Championship season, as well as stints at Virginia Military Institute and Gadsden City. He was selected as 2023 Decatur Daily Large School (5A-7A) Coach of the Year, as well as 2023 Class 5A Region 8 Coach of the Year.
Cullman City Schools Superintendent Kyle Kallhoff discussed the search process at Friday morning’s meeting, highlighting the qualities they were looking for in the next Bearcats head coach.
“We had close to 40 apply for the position. We conducted six interviews and three follow-up interviews over a two-week period. Mrs. (Allison) Tuggle, Coach (Mike) Dean and I participated in all of the interviews, all of the interviewees had experience as head football coaches and all interviewees were thoroughly vetted by us contacting school administrators, athletic directors and head coaches. The considerations we had when interviewing were, ‘What is the best fit for our student athletes? Who will maximize their potential on and off the field? Will this person provide structure, leadership, clear expectations and discipline? And will this person be the best fit for the Cullman High School faculty and staff, the best fit for the Cullman community and will they work best with the administration?’,” Kallhoff said. “Our recommendation today has four years’ experience as a head coach in Alabama. He turned a historically poor performing 5A team into a playoff team by his third season with them. He has seven years’ experience as an assistant coach and coordinator in Alabama, six years’ experience coaching at the college level and he will bring the core beliefs of hard work, accountability, positivity, toughness and having a winning attitude.”
Walker admits that he didn’t give much thought to returning to his alma mater as a head coach early in his career but knew when the opportunity presented itself that it’s where he felt called to be.
“What a special day for me and my family. I knew it’d be special but when I walked in and saw all the black and gold again it got kind of surreal being back here,” Walker said. “When I first got into coaching, I wouldn’t say I planned on being back at my alma mater, it never really crossed my mind. I was entered in at the college level and wanted to kind of chase college glory if you would. I wanted to go all over the country and see different places and work in different states, but God intervened in my life and led my path back home.”
Copyright 2025 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Chinese (Simplified)
English
German
Japanese
Spanish
